Olfactory NYC Smells New Opportunity in DC
By Keith Loria February 29, 2024 12:19 pm
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Olfactory NYC, a do-it-yourself fragrance experience, has sniffed out a new retail location in Washington, D.C.
The company inked a 600-square-foot lease at 3242 M Street in Georgetown and will open in April. It is subleasing the storefront from retailer Marine Layer, which last occupied the space, for the next three years. The San Francisco-based clothing company closed its store on Jan. 24.
The retail site was once home to Godiva Chocolate. The building dates back 60 years and has clapboard wood siding similar to many of the neighborhood’s historic buildings.
The owner is Arlington, Va.-based Graham Holdings Company, which also owns the next-door restaurant Clyde’s, a Georgetown staple that has been open since 1963.
Olfactory NYC was founded by Joseph “JJ” Vittoria in 2017 and has three locations in New York (Nolita, West Village and Williamsburg) as well as one in Boston. The company offers customers a chance to create their own personalized fragrance, and includes a smelling section of nine fragrances plus scent experts to guide them.
“We see Washington, D.C., as an exciting new market with a passionate fragrance community,” Vittoria told Commercial Observer. “Our Georgetown store is smaller than the others, but we loved the look of the clapboard house.”
Jason Richter of Capricorn Retail Advisors represented the landlord in the deal, while David Dochter, Logan Chambers and Matthew Alexander of Dochter & Alexander Retail Advisors represented the tenant.
The create-your-own-fragrance experience is a growing trend in the area. Other companies offering the service include DIY Scent Studio Perfumery at 4007 University Drive in Fairfax, Va.; and B Parfums, which offers private classes in Columbia, Md.
Keith Loria can be reached at Kloria@commercialobserver.com.
